Top directors enjoy pay hikes despite the downturn

The recession may have been rough on the PR industry in general, but many agency directors coped with the downturn rather better.

The pay of the top ten highest earning directors rose by 3.9 per cent in
2009, Kingston Smith W1's data shows. This rise was driven by WPP-owned
Finsbury, which paid its top earning director, thought to be founder
Roland Rudd, £3.1m during the year.

There were also big pay increases at Grayling after its merger with Mmd
and Trimedia. The top director's pay almost trebled.

The Big Partnership, just outside the top ten list, handed its highest
earning director a 160 per cent rise, to £346,000.

Pay for all directors across the top 40 agencies fell by 7.6 per cent,
with drops of over 20 per cent at Edelman, Ketchum Pleon, Maitland and
Mandate.

Employment costs per head rose marginally to £61,660, despite a
drop in operating profits of 14.7 per cent for the top 40
consultancies.